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Posted:
Wednesday, February 27, 2002
USET Reining: the finest of the best
By John Brasseaux
Three years ago, the United States Equestrian Team decided to add reining as a show discipline. Previously, all events within the USET were English. They consist of show jumping, dressage, endurance riding, eventing and driving. The addition of reining not only represented a new discipline, but the addition of a western discipline.
According to their website, the USET is a non-profit organization that selects, trains, equips, finances and promotes equestrians of the highest possible standard to represent the USA in major international competition, including the Olympics Games and the World Championships. In doing so, the USET seeks out and nurtures the development of talented athletes - riders, drivers and horses - and provides the support and the guidance they need to help them attain their fullest potential.
A part of that finding and refining process is Gladstone, the outdoor show facility located in the woods of east-central New Jersey. Every June all disciplines gather to compete. For reining, the top 20 horses are there, based on seven qualifying shows that run from January through April and then a semifinals in May, where the top 20 horses are selected. In Gladstone, at the end of two go-rounds, the top reining horse is judged the winner.
USET competition allows for something the National Reining Horse Association doesn't: a place for older horses to compete. Previously, horse that reached 6 years of age were retired, because in NRHA limited-aged competition, there was no classes for horses older than 5. The introduction of reining changed all that, because their rules call for the horses to be no younger than 6, in effect, picking up where the NHRA left off.
This year, the Festival Of Champions, as Gladstone is officially called, will take on a special flavor. The top horses in each discipline will be sent to the World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain in September to represent the United States. This is the first time reining will be featured. In reining, four horses and riders will go to compete against reiners from other countries. Our English Content Director, Heather Bailey, will attend to provide on-site news and results of the event. Stay tuned.
To provide a flavor of the coverage we'll provide in June, here's some shots of the reining from 2001.
Go to the slide show!
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